We've always done a separate meal for DD d/t some early food sensitivities, including dairy, onions, chocolate, and berries. Generally, she gets a protein, a veggie, and a starch...we try to make it food that DD is likely to eat, but not just "kid food." Tonight was a hot dog (leftover from when we all had them on Friday), peas & carrots, a slice of soy cheese, & sauerkraut. I'm finding that now that she's 2, the thing she liked 2 days ago she doesn't like today. So she powered through the hot dog & the "cheese", 1/2 the peas, & pushed the sauerkraut off her plate onto the table. Normally she loves, but not today...but it was only kraut, so not a big loss. But when she does it, say, when her meal is rice & beans (normally a fave where I can sneak in some veggies)...she tells me she's done, I make sure she understands that if she doesn't eat her dinner, there's no fun snack before bed, all she gets is her normal cup of milk, then I let her clear her plate if she wants. And in two hours, when she asks for snack, I remind her about dinner & offer to let her lay w/ me & snuggle on the couch w/ her milk. It usually goes pretty smoothly, except that once, a couple weeks ago, there was a meal that she just did NOT want to eat, & come snack time she was wretched b/c she really was hungry. We caved that night & gave her a peanut-butter sandwich, b/c I really can't bear to send her to bed hungry. Oh, and for her, everything is better w/ ranch dressing...there is very little she won't eat if she has ranch to dip it in.